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Thread ID: 101195 2009-07-04 22:10:00 Screen resolution in Ubuntu 8.0.4 chiefnz (545) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
788970 2009-07-04 22:10:00 I have a box with Ubuntu 8.0.4 installed on it. The system is fully updated and humming along quite nicely... except for the screen resolution which won't go higher than 800x600.

I have enabled the nVidia driver but it still won't allow a higher resolution than 800x600.

Can anyone give me a hand with this please?

Thanks,
chiefnz (545)
788971 2009-07-04 22:59:00 Well, I dealt with Ubuntu 8.04 in the past as well, but my approach was somewhat different. I downloaded a new copy of nVIDIA driver for Ubuntu, installed it, had a few fights over it, and finally got it working.

What graphic card do you have, and can you enable the "extra" effects from Appearance settings?
LynX (14542)
788972 2009-07-05 01:02:00 Ok,

can run the extra effects. I have downloaded the drive for the nVidia TNT card, but cannot install from the GUI.

It throws an error saying cannot run from X server (or something similar)

How do I boot into the CLI to install the driver?

I know it has something to do with running an init level command but don't know where to start really.

Cheers,
chiefnz (545)
788973 2009-07-05 01:18:00 Try using the nvidia tool rather than the default gnome one to change your resolution. Press Alt+F2 and run "gksu nvidia-settings" then edit your resolution and make sure you select "save to X configuration file" ad_267 (6193)
788974 2009-07-05 01:32:00 Don't I have to install the nVidia driver 1st before I do that.

I'm a little confused here?
chiefnz (545)
788975 2009-07-05 02:30:00 What the installer is saying that nVIDIA driver cannot be installed when you've got GNOME (the graphical interface like dwm . exe in Vista) .

You can shut it down with something similar to this:


Sudo /etc/init . d/gdm stop

And start it again after you finished:


sudo /etc/init . d/gdm start

HINT: in case you wonder how to start the installer in command line, it is:


sudo sh nvidia . run
Where file nvidia . run is placed in the Home Folder .
LynX (14542)
788976 2009-07-05 02:50:00 Ok did what you said Lynx but once in what appears to be the CLI, no matter what command I throw at it nothing works.

I then used the start command to get back into the GUI.

Am I missing something here.

Can't I gust reboot into CLI install the drive then boot back into the GUI?

cheers,
chiefnz (545)
788977 2009-07-05 02:55:00 Ok what I tried to do was run a failsafe terminal session.


This is the error message I got when trying to install the nVidia driver.


Error: You appear to be running an X Server; Please exit X before installing.

Cheers,
chiefnz (545)
788978 2009-07-05 03:48:00 Arrrrrrrrh! I should've said that the S should NOT be a capital letter!

So the code is like this:


sudo /etc/init.d/gdm stop

Thought you may pick that up, but you didn't. And I forgot to correct that...

Edit: that error message tells you that the X server is still on; it has to be turned off, since some files have to be switched (it's like you can't change your graphic card when your computer is still on).

If you still see modern-looking GUI things (i.e. not white texts on black, or DOS-like things), the X is probably still on.
LynX (14542)
788979 2009-07-05 04:49:00 ok managed to get it going, I did pick up on the CAP S though :)

driver installed now but I need to edit the X.conf file or something like that.

will need to read a bit more.

Thanks for the help... I will probably be posting a few more questions soon.

Cheers,
chiefnz (545)
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